Carton dating apparatus

ABSTRACT

Carton dating apparatus, for use in a carton filling and sealing apparatus, includes an anvil and a heated dater block having dies with raised numerals aligned with and spaced from the anvil. The anvil and dater block require no drive mechanism or carton handling devices of their own but rather are movable with respect to each other to brand a date into a carton panel in response to movement of an otherwise unassociated carton treating element, of the filling and sealing apparatus, spaced from the dater. The dater block is mounted on a leaf spring and a cam mounted on the carton treating element engages the dater block to move it against the anvil, when the treating element moves, and thereby brand date indicia into the carton panel between the anvil and dater block.

United States Patent [191 Johnson Mar. 25, 1975 CARTON DATING APPARATUS[75] Inventor: John-A. Johnson, New Richmond,

Ohio

[73] Assignee: Cedar Sales Company, Cincinnati,

Ohio

[22] Filed: Oct. 12, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 405,909

[52] US. Cl 53/131, 93/36 R, 101/11 [51] Int. Cl B65b 61/02 [58] Fieldof Search 93/44.1 GT, 44.1 R, 36 R;

3,683,798 8/1972 Kreuschmer [01/27 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake AssistantE.\'aminer.lames F. Coan Atrornev, Agent, or Firm-Wood, Herron & Evans[57] ABSTRACT Carton dating apparatus, for use in a carton filling andsealing apparatus, includes an anvil and a heated dater block havingdies with raised numerals aligned with and spaced from the anvil. Theanvil and dater block require no drive mechanism or carton handlingdevices of their own but rather are movable with respect to each otherto brand a date into a carton panel in response to movement of anotherwise unassociated carton treating element, of the filling andsealing apparatus, spaced from the dater. The dater block is mounted ona leaf spring and a cam mounted on the carton treating element engagesthe dater block to move it against the anvil, when the treating elementmoves, and thereby brand date indicia into the carton panel between theanvil and dater block.

41 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures 1 CARTON DATING APPARATUS Serial N o.422,886, filed December 7, 1973, and

entitled Container Brander Apparatu l 7 In the milk packing industry, itis becoming increasingly mandatory in many localities to apply visibledata indicia to milk containers in order to indicate the date on whichthe milk was purchased and thereby aid the consumer in choosing freshmilk and the retailer in eliminating old and perhaps soured milk fromhis shelves. Since milk is normally packaged by a large number ofindependent dairies, it is common for each dairy to apply the packagingdate to themilk cartons at the time the mil k is packaged by the dairy.

With respect to the currently typically polyethylene coated paperboardmilk cartons, the actual carton dating has been accomplished inprimarily three different modes: inking, stamping or embossing, andbranding. Where the inking technique, whether wet or dry, is used, thedater must always be provided with a supply of ink fluid, inked tapes orthe like and thus requires fairly frequent attention during operation.The stamping or embossing technique requires no such consumable supplybut the stamped or embossed date is not highly visible and does not meetthe visibility regulations of some areas. Unlike these, the brandingmode requires no ink or ink tape supply and is highly visible ascontrasted with the embossing technique due to the partial burning ofother polyethylene and of the paperboard. The branding mode would thusseem to be at least technically preferred and is in the preferred datingmode contemplated by the present invention, although the invention couldbe adapted for use within the other modes as well.

There are currently a number of different types of carton filling andsealing apparatus commercially available for packaging milk in suchcartons; some include a dating capability and others, as originallymanufactured, do not. Where the filling and sealing apparatus of aparticular dairy does not have the dating capability. it is necessaryfor a dairy to purchase auxiliary machinery to perform a desired datingfunction.

Whether a dairys filling and sealing apparatus incorporates a dater, orwhether a dairy utilizes an auxiliary dater in association with aseparately made filler and sealer, there are a number of problems whichexist with either type of dating unit. Whether inking, embossing, orbranding, current daters generally include engagemerit of the carton bya reciprocating member which applies the date to the carton. Thesedaters thus normally require a plurality of moving parts and a drivingmechanism for providing the required movement toward and away fromcartons to be dated. In many cases, these mechanisms are timed withvarious move-- ments of the associated filling and sealing apparatus andsome form of timing mechanism is required. Even further, some datersmust have their own carton handling apparatus for properly indexing thecartons to and away from the dating station Thus, in both cases, thepresent commercial daters are normally complex units having amultiplicity of moving parts required to make them operate in aspecilied timed relationship with the filler and sealer with which theyare associated. They are, therefore, expensive in themselves or addsubstantially to the cost of filling and sealing apparatus with whichthey are provided. Additionally, the units require supervision andmaintenance, and downtime for repair results in concurrent downtime forthe associated filler and sealer.

When a particular locality adopts a milk carton dating regulation,affected dairies having filling and sealing apparatus with no datingcapability face the pr0blem of purchasing daters to conform to theregulations. In addition, it is desirable, from a practical marketingstandpoint, for the manufacturer of new filling and sealing apparatus toprovide a dating capability to such apparatus as will be sold in areashaving dating regulations. In both instances, it is highly desirable tokeep initial cost down and to eliminate-or reduce other cost factorssuch as maintenance.

It has thus been a primary objective of the invention to provideimproved dating apparatus for applying dates to milk containers.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide improvedapparatus for branding dates into polyethylene coated paperboard milkcartons.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide an economicaldater made from a minimum number of moving parts and which can be veryeasily adapted and applied to existing carton filling and sealingapparatus.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide an economicallymanufactured carton dater having a minimum number of parts so as toreduce both initial capital cost and maintenance time and cost.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide an improveddater which can easily be adapted for use with existing carton fillingand sealing apparatus and which requires no independent drivingmechanism of its own.

A related and more specific yet highly important ob jective of theinvention has been to provide a carton dater for use with existingcarton filling and sealing apparatus, the dater having a minimum numberofmoving parts with no independent driving mechanism of its own butrather deriving its operating movements from the motion of other movingelements at spaced stations within the filling and sealing apparatus.

A further objective of the invention has been to provide a carton daterparticularly adapted for use with milk carton filling and sealingapparatus of the type manufactured by the Cherry-Burrell Corporationunder its model numbers Q- and H-75. A related objective of theinvention has been to provide a carton dater, for the Cherry-Burrellfilling and sealing apparatus, wherein the dater derives its operationalmotion from the normal reciprocation of the carton top akers?th ebna v Afurther objective of the invention has been to provide a carton daterfor milk carton filling and sealing apparatus, the dater being disposedto apply a branded date to a carton panel prior to filling and sealingthe carton. V 7

In a preferred embodiment, the present invention includes a carton daterwith two dater units for dating cartons in two respective carton linesofa carton filling and sealing apparatus. Each dater unit has a spacedapart anvil and a dater block containing date stamping dies. The anviland the block are mounted for relative movement toward and away fromeach other and the blocks are heated so that a date can be branded intoa carton panel conveyed therebetween. The dater has no independentdriving mechanism but rather derives the relative movement between eachblock and the anvil from a normally reciprocating, and otherwiseunassociated, element of the filling and sealing apparatus with whichthe dater unit is utilized.

Specifically, the filling and sealing apparatus includes a pre-bendingor top breaker station downstream of the carton dater. The top breakerof this station serves to pre-bend the top portion of downstream cartonsin one stage of the carton end closure forming procedure and normallyreciprocates vertically toward and away from the tops of the cartonsconveyed to a position beneath the breaker. A cam element is attached toa portion of the reciprocating top breaker apparatus and is disposed toengage the movable dater block of the dating unit when the top breakermoves downwardly. This forces the dater block against the anvil and thedater thereby applies the date to a carton panel between the dater blockand the anvil.

As conveyed toward the dater, the cartons are in a tubular form having arectangular shape, opposite sides of each carton having panels whichextend above forward and rearward sides of the carton so that at leastone of the panels is receivable between a respective dater block andassociated anvil. The dater and top breaker are located at adjacentpositions and are spaced apart so that when cartons are in position withrespect to the top breaker, other upstream cartons are positioned at thedater. When the top breaker of the filling and sealing apparatus islowered to engage cartons at the pre-bend station, respective camsurfaces attached to an element of the top breaker engage the movabledater blocks and urge them toward their associated anvil so as to applya date to the upstanding carton panel therebetween. When the top breakerapparatus is raised, the cam surfaces disengage from the dater blocksand the cartons are released from the dating station and are thereafterconveyed downstream toward the pre-bending station for pre-bending whileanother set of cartons is simultaneously conveyed to the dater.

The preferred embodimemt of the dater invention is very easily adaptedto carton filling and sealing apparatus manufactured by theCherry-Burrell Corporation under its model numbers Q-80 and H-75. Tothis end, the dater includes an elongated mounting member attached atits ends to portions of the Cherry-Burrell apparatus. Slidable collarsare mounted on the elongated member and serve to mount the movable daterblocks and the anvils. Each anvil is attached via an elongated post to aslidable collar and each dater block is mounted in alignment with acorresponding anvil or an upper end of a leaf spring, the lower end ofwhich is attached via a bracket to the lower end of the post mountingthe anvil.

The elongated mounting member is positioned beneath the double conveyorof the Cherry-Burrell apparatus and the anvils amd dater blocks extendabove the conveyors to an area in proximity to the top portion ofcartons which are conveyed past the dater. The daters are adjusted alongthe elongated members so that the normal space between the anvil anddater block is an aligned position with respect to an upstanding cartonpanel. In addition, the anvil includes a tapered guide surface whichserves to guide the upstanding carton panel between the anvil and thedater block.

The invention thus provides an economical dater having a mininum numberof parts and deriving its operational motion from a normal movement ofotherwise unassociated elements of the filling and sealing apparatuswith which the dater is used. Although described in a preferredembodiment in association with a particular filling and sealingapparatus, it is easily adapted to existing or newly manufacturedapparatus of different types and requires minimal maintenance.

These and other advantages and objectives will become readily apparentfrom the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention and from the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing the combination ofa preferredembodiment of the invention with an ex isting carton filling and sealingapparatus;

FIG. 2 is a top view of a preferred embodiment of the invention takenalong lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the inventionshowing the invention in relationship to the carton conveyors ofafilling and sealing apparatus and to cartons conveyed thereon; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a dater block according to the preferredembodiment of the invention.

Now referring specifically to the drawings, FIG. 1 provides adiagrammatic view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention whichprovides a dater and a dating station in a milk carton filling andsealing apparatus. The dater of the preferred embodiment is showngenerally at 10 while the existing filling and sealing apparatus withwhich the dater is used is shown generally at 11.

The dater unit at the dating station generally includes an anvil and aheated dater block movable toward each other to engage a carton paneltherebetween and brand a date into the panel. The apparatus indicated atII can be any form of milk carton packaging machinery to which theinvention can be readily adapted and its specific details form no partof the present invention except as will be described.

In the preferred embodiment described below, however, the apparatus llis specifically identified as a Cherry-Burrell packaging apparatusmanufactured by the Cherry-Burrell Corporation under its model numbers0-80 and H-75, these models being respectively adapted to fill and sealquart cartons and half-gallon cartons respectively. This apparatus isnormally operable to form, fill, and seal the cartons by first foldingand sealing the carton bottom structure, thereafter prebending thecarton top, filling the carton, and then sealing its top portion tofinally form a gable top end closure. The particular cartons referred toare typically made from a polyethylene coated paperboard of the type nowtypically in use for milk packaging, however, any suitable containermaterial may be utilized. For purposes of description, the machinedirection, or direction of movement of cartons through the datingstation and the pre-bend station, is indicated by the arrow marked MD inFIG. 1.

When the bottoms of the cartons have been scaled, the cartons (as shownin phantom at C in FIG. 3) are in a tubular form of rectangular shapehaving a closed bottom end, opposing sides indicated at 12 and 13 inFIG. 3, a forward side 14 and a rearward side 15. The opposing sides 12and 13 each extend above the tops of the forward and rearward sides 14and 15 so as to provide carton top panels 16 and 17 respectively.

In a filled and sealed form, the top of the carton C as shown in FIG. 3will have a gable type top end closure (such as is now in common use ona wide commercial basis) terminating in a top flange or rib composed ofa plurality of parallel panels 16 and 17. It is this rib which bears thedate that indicates when the milk in the carton was packaged.

in a normal operation, the apparatus 11 is adapted to form this top endclosure by a plurality of steps including pre-bending the top portion ofthe carton along score lines already formed in the carton walls. A topbreaker is utilized at a pre-bend station to perform this preliminarybending. For purposes of description, the top breaker of the existingapparatus 11 will at times be hereinafter referred to as a closureforming means, the top breaker providing a preliminary treatment step tothe carton top and, therefore, included in the complete closure formingor carton treating process. The closure forming steps also includethereafter finally bending the top portion ofthe carton and sealing thepanels 16 and 17 together to form a composite rib by heating thepolyethylene thereon and compressing the panels together while thepolyethylene cools. This forms a sanitary leak-proof seal and gable topend closure.

In the specific Cherry-Burrell apparatus with which the preferredembodiment is utilized, the bottom structures of the cartons are formedand sealed and the cartons are thereafter conveyed on two conveyors andin two lines to a pre-bend station where a top breaker mounted forreciprocable motion is moved downwardly onto the tops of the cartons topre-bend them. The cartons are thereafter filled and then sealed as hasbeen explained.

The top breaker apparatus is generally mounted for vertical movementtoward and away from the top portions of cartons which are conveyedbeneath the breaker. The preferred embodiment of the present inventioncontemplates the utilization of this normal reciprocal motion to drive amovable element of the preferred dater embodiment in order to apply adate to a carton. To facilitate this operational relationship, the dateris advantageously placed upstream of and adjacent the top breaker (atthe pre-bend station of the ap paratus 11), and cams or rollers 20 areattached via supporting shafts 21 to an element of the reciprocating topbreaker apparatus for vertical movement in the direction of Arrow Ashown in FIGS. 1 and 3. it is through these cams or rollers that thepreferred embodiment of the invention derives its operational movementfrom the normal reciprocal motion of elements forming carton treatingapparatus or closure forming means spaced from the dating station.

The overall details of the preferred embodiment of the invention areperhaps best seen in FIG. 3 which depicts, in phantom lines, doubleconveyors 25 and 26 of the apparatus 11 and a carton C (which hasalready been described) on the conveyor 25. Other cartons on conveyors25 and 26 have not been shown. While only flat surfaces representing theconveyors are shown in FIG. 3 for clarity, it will be appreciated thatthe conveyors may comprise chains having protruding lugs for engagingand pushing cartons along a skid plate.

The dater 10 can be made of stainless steel and includes an elongatedmounting member 30 adapted to be attached at its ends to frame members(not shown) of the apparatus 11 via brackets 31 and 32. When so mounted,the elongated member 30 extends beneath and transverse to the conveyors25 and 26. Slidably mounted on the member 30 are mounting collars 35 and36, each of which adjustably mounts a respective dating unit 37 and 38to the elongated member 30. Dating units 37 and 38 are similar anddating unit 38 will not be permitting described; however, like orsimilar parts wil be designated by similar numbers. it will, of course,be appreciated that the relationship between the parts of the daterunnit 38 with respect to the conveyor 26 and cartons (not shown)conveyed thereon will be similar to the relationship between the daterunit 37, conveyor 25, and carton C. Only one carton C is shown in FIG.3; however, it is to be appreciated that conveyors 25 and 26 each conveya plurality of cartons, sapced at predetermined intervals with respectto each other, throughout the apparatus 11 including the dater 10 andthe pre-band station.

Each dater unit includes a dater block 45 and an anvil 46 which aremounted for relative movement with respect to each other. Specifically,the anvils are mounted via brackets 47 to elongated posts 48 slidablymounted in collars 49. The collars 49 are in turn attached to thecollars 35 and 36 respectively. The anvils are thus elevated above theconveyors and, as shown with respect to the conveyor 25, are positionedapproximate the top portion to cartons C conveyed on the conveyors. Theheight of the anvils may be adjusted via the slidable mounts provided bythe collars 49 and the set screws shown therein.

Another bracket 55 is rigidly attached to elongated posts 48 and a leafspring 56 is attached at a bottom end to the brackets 55. The daterblocks 45 are attached to an upper end of the leaf spring 56 so that thedater blocks are movable in generally reciprocable directions, noted bythe arrows B, toward and away from anvils 46. It should be noted thatthe relationship could be reversed and the anvils could be mounted on aspring so as to be movable with respect to the dater blocks.

in a preferred embodiment, dater blocks 45 and the anvils 46 are mountedvia their respective mounting elements so that they are operationallyaligned with respect to each other. Specifically, each dater block ismilled to provide a slot 60 (covered by a plate which extendstransversely therethrough. A pivoted gate 61 is pivoted about the screw62 to alternately cover or uncover the rear of slot 60. Date stampingdies comprising printing slugs having raised indicia, such as highrelief numerals, (not shown), indicating the numbers of respective days,months or years are adapted to fit within slot 60. For purposes offurther description, the dies or slugs may be generally referred to asindicia applying means as they may take any suitable form depending ontheir intended use. A day slug is indicated at 63; a month slug at 64;and a year slug at 65. Each of these slugs has a predetermined length sothat the raised numerals of the slug will extend forwardly and beyondthe dater block 45 as shown in FIG. 2.

The plate 70 covering the top of the slot 60 is welded into place sothat an end portion 7] extends outwardly beyond a forward face 72 ofthedater block 45. The relationship of the extension ol'the portion 71ofthe plate 70 beyond the face 72 and the length ofthe slugs 63-65 isselected so that the raised numerals on the slugs extend only a setdistance beyond the portion 71 of the plate 70. Extending portion 71provides an additional feature as will be explained.

Each of the slugs has an upstanding lug 73 which engages a rear portion74 of the plate 70 and restricts any motion of the slugs with respect tothe dater block in a forward direction toward the anvil 46. With thegate 61 in its closed position so that its slot 75 cooperates with thescrew 76, the slugs are securely held in the dater block 45. In theinstance where the slugs are provided with a downwardly extending lug(in relation to the raised numeral or letter orientation), the daterblock is milled at the rearward end of the slot so that the lugs residein this milled portion and engage the dater block, rather than theplate, to restrict forward movement of the slugs.

The dater block 45 is provided with a through bore 80 which has aninternal diameter sufficient to accommodate an elongated cylindricalheater 81. Any suitable heater can be utilized; however, the 350 watt,120 volt cartridge heater made by the Fast Heat Manufacturing Companyand identified by that companys catalogue number H-24 has been foundsuitable. The heater is appropriately connected through an electricalcircuit to electrical control means such as a power-stat (not shown)which is operable to control the heaters temperature. A power-stat suchas the one sold by the Superior Electrical Companay as its Type 21 hasbeen found to be suitable.

The power-stat is connected to a source of electrical energy through thesame circuitry used to energize the other heaters utilized in theapparatus 11 for the heat sealing of the carton bottom and topstructures. The heaters 81 are thus energized whenever the apparatus IIis operated and serve to heat the complete dater block and the dies orslugs 63-65 so that the raised numerals on the slugs are also elevatedin temperature. When the raised numerals are thus pressed against thetop panel of the carton, they are not only emboss but also burn thepolyethylene and the paperboard and thereby apply dates by branding thecarton with the particular date selected. The darkness of the brand onthe carton panel can be adjusted by regulating the heat output of theheater 81 by the power-stat and it has been found that the branddarkness can be adjusted ro provide a highly visible and indeliblemarking on the carton panel.

When the heater is energized and the dater block is heated, theprojection 71 of plate 70 is also elevated in temperature and, since itengages the slugs 63-65, serves to conduct heat thereto forwardly of thedater block. This serves to better maintain heat in the slugs andreduces overall heater output requirements as can be appreciated.

The anvil 46 includes an anvil surface 90, which is aligned with thedater block 45, and a guide surface 91 extending from the anvil surface90 and tapering away from the anvil surface in a direction away from thedater block 45 as shown in FIG. 2. In the preferred embodiment, thedistance between the projecting numerals of the slugs 63-65 and theanvil surface 90 is indicated in FIG. 2 and D and is approximately of aninch. The guide surface 91 is provided on the anvil in order tofacilitate movement of the carton panel 17 into position between thedater block and the anvil. In FIG. 3, a forward portion of panel 17 ofthe carton C has just engaged the guide surface 91 which serves to aidin alignment of the carton with respect to the dater unit 37. Apreliminary adjustment of the dater unit with respect to the pathtraversed by the carton panels to be branded can be preliminary andaccurately set by means of the slidable collar 35 and its associated setscrew shown in FIG. 3. Of course, the position of the dater unit 38 isalso adjusted with respect to conveyor 26 via slidable collar 36.

The anvil 46 is provided with a passageway which has an inlet 96 and anoutlet 97. The inlet 96 is connected to a coolant means or supply suchas a source of circulating water and the coolant is circulated throughthe anvil via the passage 95 to maintain the anvil at a relatively lowtemperature with respect to the operating temperature of the dater block45. The anvil thus provides relatively cool surfaces against which thecarton panel 17 is urged and the polyethylene on the anvil side of thecarton 17 is not disturbed or heated to such an extent as would detractfrom the effectiveness ofthe final seal between the panels 16 and 17which are heated and pressed together to form the top rib.

When the dater unit provided for by the invention is assembled to theapparatus 11, it is located adjacent the pre-bend station of theapparatus and particularly adjacent the top breaker so that each of thedating blocks is located at least partially in the path of the rollersor earns 20. In addition, the dater 10 is spaced from the pre-bendstation a distance equal to the carton spacing (or multiple thereof) onthe conveyors 25 and 26 so that when cartons are precisely locatedbeneath the top breaker at the prc-bend station, panels of upstreamcartons are located between the respective anvils and dater blocks ofthe dater units 37 and 38. Thus, when the top breaker of the apparatus11 is moved downwardly to pre-bend the tops of cartons therebeneath, thecams or rollers 20 are also moved downwardly and engage a back portionof the gates 61 of the dater blocks to urge the dater blocksrespectively toward their associated anvils. As the dater blocks movetoward their associated anvils, the heated raised numerals of the slugs63-65 are impressed into an outer surface of the carton panel 17 andthereby brand the selected date into the panel.

When the top breaker in the apparatus 11 thereafter moves upwardly, thecam surface of the cams or rollers 20 move away from the dater blocksand the dater blocks, being mounted on the leaf springs 56, move awayfrom the cartons. The dated cartons are then eonveyed toward a positionbeneath the top breaker apparatus and new, undated cartons are conveyedinto position between the dater blocks and the anvils for dating.

It can thus be appreciated that the invention provides very simple andeconomical apparatus for the dating of cartons in existing milk cartonfilling and sealing apparatus. The operational movements of the daterare derived from the normal motion of elements associated with a carbontreating station of the existing apparatus so that the dater provided bythe invention does not require an individual driving mechanism. As aresult of the spacing of the dater unit with respect to the station fromwhich motion of the dater unit is derived, no elaborate timing mechanismis required for the dater. Very little maintenance is required in orderto keep the dater of the present invention in operation as it has aminimum number of moving parts. Maintenance problems and cost are thussignificantly reduced as compared to those units which require their owndriving or timing mechanisms. In addition, the date slugs bearing theraised indicating numerals are very easily changeable and the day-to-daychangeover from one date to the next is quickly accomplished.

The dater of the preferred embodiment has an additional advantageousfeature in that when mounted as described, it brands dates on the topribs of cartons before the cartons are filled and sealed. The dater ismounted on the machine ahead or upstream of the top breaker and therebyaway from normal moisture areas, within the apparatus, which might causeelectrical shorting problems.

An even further advantage of the dater disclosed herein is that it canbe readily adapted to existing filling and sealing apparatus, such asthe Cherry-Burrell model discussed above, in less than a days time.Still further, it can be adapted for use with other filling and sealingapparatus. For example, the dater has been readily adapted for use withcarton filling and sealing apparatus made by the Excello Corporation andmarketed under its model No. RP. This apparatus also includes areciprocating top breaker which is adapted and utilized to drive thedater in a manner similar to that set out in the above description withrespect to the preferred embodiment.

While a preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, itwill be appreciated that other modifications will become readilyapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing fromthe scope of the invention and the applicant intends to be bound only bythe appended claims.

I claim:

1. ln carton filling and sealing apparatus of the type havingreciprocating closure forming means for forming an end closure oncartons successively conveyed thereto, said end closure including a ribformed from a plurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallel planes,dating apparatus for applying indicia to at least one of said panelscomprising:

anvil means,

dater block means having indicia applying means aligned with andnormally spaced from said anvil means,

said anvil means and said dater block means being mounted for relativemovement toward and away from each other, said filling and sealingapparatus having means for moving at least one of said panels betweensaid anvil means and said dater block means, and

means connected to said closure forming means for moving one of saidanvil means and said dater block means toward and away from the other inresponse to movement of said closure forming means toward and away fromsuccessive cartons, so as to apply a date to one of said panels whensaid panel is between said anvil means and said dater block means.

2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said closure forming means comprisestop breaker apparatus for prebending carton tops preparatory to fillingsaid cartons and to scaling said tops. and wherein said means for movingone of said dater block means and said anvil means includes a camsurface mounted on said top breaker apparatus so as to engage one ofsaid anvil means and said dater block means when said top breakerapparatus is moved toward a carton.

3. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said carton filling and sealingapparatus includes a carton conveyor for conveying cartons to saiddating apparatus and thereafter to said top breaker apparatus, saidanvil means and said dater block means being spaced upstream from saidtop breaker apparatus a predetermined distance so that a date is appliedto one carton while a previously stamped carton is treated by the topbreaker apparatus downstream of said one carton.

4. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said dater block means is mounted ona leaf spring so as to be movable toward and away from said anvilmeans.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4 wherein said cam surface is disposed toengage said dater block means to move it toward said anvil means.

6. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said dater block means is providedwith a heater means for heating said indicia applying means so that saidpanel is branded by said indicia applying means.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said heater means is an electricheater and further including electrical control means for regulating theheat output of said heater so that the darkness of said brand can beadjusted.

8. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein said anvil has at least onepassageway, and an inlet and outlet thereto, said inlet being connectedto a source of coolant to provide cooling for said anvil.

9. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said dating apparatus furtherincludes an elongated mounting member connected at respective ends to aportion of said carton filling and sealing apparatus, said anvil meansand said dater block means being mounted on said mounting member.

10. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said filling and sealing apparatus'includes a carton conveyor, said elongated mounting member beingdisposed beneath said conveyor and said anvil means and said dater blockmeans being mounted on said elongated mounting means but elevated abovesaid conveyor so as to be in proximity to a top portion of cartonsconveyed by said conveyor.

11. Apparatus as in claim 10 wherein said anvil means and said daterblock means are slidably mounted on said elongated mounting means so asto be laterally adjustable with respect to said conveyor and saidconveyed cartons.

12. Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said filling and sealing apparatusincludes two carton conveyors for conveying two lines of cartonstherethrough, said dating apparatus including an anvil means and acorresponding dater block means for each conveyor, each anvil means anddater block means combination being slidable on said elongated mountingmember for adjustment with respect to a respective conveyor and cartonsconveyed thereby.

13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said filling and sealing apparatusincludes a top breaker apparatus downstream of said dating apparatus,said top breaker apparatus reciprocating toward and away from cartonsdownstream of said dating apparatus, and said dating apparatus furtherincluding cam means mounted on said top breaker apparatus for engagingrespective dater block means and moving them toward corresponding anvilmeans to apply indicia to carton panels when said top breaker apparatusmoves toward downstream cartons.

14. Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said filling and sealing apparatuscomprises conveying means for conveying two lines of cartons, saiddating apparatus further including an anvil means and dater block meansfor each line of cartons.

15. In apparatus for filling and sealing tubular milk cartons having endclosures terminating in a rib which includes a plurality of panelsdisposed in adjacent parallel planes, said apparatus being of the typehaving a carton conveyor and a reciprocating top breaker means forengaging and prebending carton tops preparatory to filling said cartonsand to scaling said tops to form said end closure, dating means forapplying indicia to at least one of said panels prior to saidpre-bending, said dating means including:

anvil means,

dater block means having indicia applying means aligned with andnormally spaced from said anvil means, and means for heating saidindicia applying means,

said dater block means and said anvil means being mounted for relativemovement toward and away from each other,

said carton conveyor being operable to successively convey said cartonsto said dating means such that one of said panels is disposed betweensaid anvil means and said dater block means, and

means attached to said top breaker means for engaging and for moving oneof said anvil meansand said dater block means toward and away from theother to apply indicia to said one panel in response to movement of saidtop breaker means toward a downstream carton.

16. Carton dating apparatus for use in a carton filling apparatus, saiddating apparatus comprising:

an elongated mounting member,

dating means comprising an anvil element and a dater block element, eachmounted on said elongated mounting member,

said dater block element adapted to mount changeable indicia applyingmeans therein,

said anvil element and said dater block element being operationallyaligned and normally spaced from each other,

a leaf-spring mounted on said elongated mounting member, one of saidanvil element or said dater block element being movably mounted on saidleaf spring so that said one element is movable relatively toward theother to press a carton portion therebetween,

said leaf-spring normally biasing said one movably mounted element to aposition spaced from the other element, said spring means beingyieldable to allow said one element to be moved toward the otherelement, and

means for cooperating with a movable element of the carton fillingapparatus for moving said one movable element toward the other.

17. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said dater block element is mountedon said leaf spring for relative movement toward and away from saidanvil element.

18. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said anvil element and said daterblock element are slidably mounted on said elongated mounting member.

19. Apparatus as in claim 16 including heater means in said dater blockelement for heating said indicia applying means when mounted in saiddater block.

20. Apparatus as in claim 19 wherein said heater means is an electricalheater and further including electrical control means for regulating theheat output of said heater so that the darkness of brands applied tocartons can be adjusted.

21. Apparatus as in claim 19 including coolant passages in said anvilelement and coolant inlet and outlet means.

22. Apparatus as in claim 16 including means for adjusting the anvilelement and the dater block element in a direction transverse to theelongated mounting member.

23. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said anvil element includes ananvil surface for cooperating with said indicia stamping apparatus andfurther includes a tapered guide surface extending from said anvilsurface in a direction away from said dater block element for aidingalignment of carton panels between said anvil element and said daterblock element for dating.

24. Apparatus as in claim 16 including a transverse passage in saiddater block element for receiving indicia applying means therein and agate means movable into a position at one end of said passage to captureand hold said indicia applying means in said passage.

25. Apparatus as in claim 16 comprising two sets of dating means, eachhaving an anvil and a corresponding dater block.

26. Apparatus as in claim 16 adapted for use in a carton filling machineof the type having a top breaker apparatus for pre-bending a top portionofa carton when moved toward a carton downstream of a dating means, saidcarton dating apparatus including a cam means connectable to said topbreaker, said cam means in use engaging said dater block element to moveit toward said anvil element when said top breaker is moved toward saiddownstream carton.

27. Apparatus as in claim 25 wherein each of said anvils and said daterblocks are adjustably mounted on said elongated mounting member.

28. Apparatus as in claim 16 further including a collar means slidablymounted on said elongated mounting member,

an anvil support column,

means adjustably mounting said anvil support column on said collar meanstransverse to said elongated mounting member, said anvil being connectedto said support column,

means connecting one end of said leaf spring to said anvil supportcolumn, and

said dater block being mounted on another end of said leaf spring,operationally aligned and spaced from said anvil, said dater block andsaid anvil being adjustable as a unit in a direction along saidelongated mounting member, and in a direction transverse thereto.

29. In a carton filling and sealing apparatus of the type includingmeans for conveying a line of cartons therethrough and further includinga reciprocating member, carton dating apparatus for applying dates tocarton panels, said dating apparatus comprising:

anvil means,

dater block means including indicia applying means,

a leaf spring attached to said filling and sealing apparatus inproximity to said line,

one of said anvil means or said dater block means being attached to saidleaf spring at a point spaced from said springs attachment to saidapparatus, said anvil means and said dater block means being aligned andnormally spaced apart with respect to each other and disposed so thatcarton panels can be conveyed therebetween, and

means attached to said reciprocating member on said filling and sealingapparatus for engaging said one of said anvil means or dater block meansattached to said leaf spring and for moving one of said anvil means ordater block means toward the other in order to engage and to applyindicia to a carton panel between said anvil means and said dater blockmeans.

30. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 29 wherein said reciprocatingmember of said carton filling and sealing apparatus comprises a portionof a carton top breaker means.

31. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 30 including heating means insaid daterblock means for heating said indicia applying means so that adate is branded into said carton panel.

32. Carton dating apparatus for use in a carton filling and sealingapparatus of the type including reciprocating means for treatingsuccessive cartons at a station spaced away from said carton datingmeans, said carton dating apparatus comprising:

an anvil,

a dater block including indicia applying means, said anvil and daterblock being disposed on opposite sides of at least a portion of acarton, and

means connectable to said reciprocating means for moving said anvil andsaid dater block relatively toward and away from each other to applysaid indicia to a carton in response to reciprocal movement of saidreciprocating means.

33. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 32 including heater means forheating said indicia applying means.

34. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 32 wherein said dater block ismounted on a leaf spring for movement toward and away from said anvil,said means for moving said anvil and said dater block togethercomprising a cam means mountable on said reciprocating means to engagesaid dater block and move said dater block toward said anvil.

35. Carton dating means as in claim 34 wherein said reciprocating meanscomprises a top breaker disposed at a station spaced from said cartondating means.

36. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 32 wherein said filling andsealing apparatus has a conveyor for moving cartons to and away fromsaid dating apparatus and said reciprocating means, said datingapparatus disposed in use to date cartons upstream of said reciprocatingmeans.

37. In carton filling and sealing apparatus of the type havingreciprocating closure forming means for forming an end closure oncartons successively conveyed thereto, said end closure including a ribformed from a plurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallel planes,dating apparatus for applying indicia to at least one of said panelscomprising:

anvil means,

dater block means having indicia applying means aligned with andnormally spaced from said anvil means,

said anvil means and said dater block means being mounted for relativemovement toward and away from each other, said filling and sealingapparatus having means for moving at least one of said panels betweensaid anvil means and said dater block means, and

means cooperating with said closure forming means for moving one of saidanvil means and said dater block means toward and away from the other inresponse to movement of said closure forming means toward and away fromsuccessive cartons, so as to apply a date to one of said panels whensaid panel is between said anvil means and said dater block means.

38. Apparatus as in claim 37 wherein said reciprocating closure formingmeans defines a closure forming station and said anvil means and saiddater block means define a dating station spaced from said closureforming station.

39. In carton filling and sealing apparatus of the type having movablecarton treating means for engaging and treating cartons successivelyconveyed thereto, said cartons having top end closures, each including arib formed from a plurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallelplanes, dating apparatus for applying indicia to at least one of saidpanels comprising:

anvil means,

dater block means having indicia applying means aligned with andnormally spaced from said anvil means,

said anvil means and said dater block means being mounted so that one ismovable relatively toward and away from the other, said filling andsealing apparatus having means for moving at least one of said panelsbetween said anvil means and said dater block means, and

means cooperating with said carton treating means for moving one of saidanvil means and said dater block means toward and away from the other inresponse to movement of said carton treating means, so as to apply adate to one of said panels when said panel is between said anvil meansand said dater block means.

40. Apparatus as in claim 39 wherein said movable carton treating meansdefines a carton treating station and wherein said anvil means and saiddater block means define a carton dating station spaced from said cartontreating station.

41. Apparatus as in claim 40 wherein said carton treating means areoperative to at least partially form end closures on said cartons.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIQE cerrrrcare EcTroN PATENT NO. 3,872,646

. DATED March 25, 1975 iNvENToms) I John A. Johnson it is certified thaterror appears in the above-identified patent and that said LettersPatent are hereby corrected as shown below:

0 Col. 1, line 10, "packing" should be packaging-.

Col. 1, line 13, "purchased" should be packaged-. Col. 1, line 20,"typically" should be typical. Col. 1, line 34, "other" should be theCol. 1, line 36, delete "in". Col. 1, line 64, insert a period after theword station" Col. 3, line 2, insert -dater between "each" & "block"Col. 3, line 52, "or"should be on-. Col. 3, line 58, "amd" should beand-. Col. 6, line 5, "permitting" should be -particularly. Col. 6, line6, "wil" should be will-. Col. 6, line 9, "unnit" should be unit. 6 Col.6, line 14, "sapced" should be spaced-.

Col. 6, line 16, "pre-band" should be -prebend. Col. 6, line 26, "0"should be -of. Col. 7, line 25, "companay" should be company--. Col. 7,line 43, "r0" should be to-. Col 8, line 1, "preliminary" should bepreliminarily. Q Col. 8, line 56, "carbon" should be carton-.

gigned and gcaled this ninth Day 0f September 1975 I [SEAL] Q Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON C. MARSHALL DANN Arlfsling ()jfif (ummissioncr oj'Paremsand Trademarks O

1. In carton filling and sealing apparatus of the type havingreciprocating closure forming means for forming an end closure oncartons successively conveyed thereto, said end closure including a ribformed from a plurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallel planes,dating apparatus for applying indicia to at least one of said panelscomprising: anvil means, dater block means having indicia applying meansaligned with and normally spaced from said anvil means, said anvil meansand said dater block means being mounted for relative movement towardand away from each other, said filling and sealing apparatus havingmeans for moving at least one of said panels between said anvil meansand said dater block means, and means connected to said closure formingmeans for moving one of said anvil means and said dater block meanstoward and away from the other in response to movement of said closureforming means toward and away from successive cartons, so as to apply adate to one of said panels when said panel is between said anvil meansand said dater block means.
 2. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein saidclosure forming means comprises top breaker apparatus for pre-bendingcarton tops preparatory to filling said cartons and to sealing saidtops, and wherein said means for moving one of said dater block meansand said anvil means includes a cam surface mounted on said top breakerapparatus so as to engage one of said anvil means and said dater blockmeans when said top breaker apparatus is moved toward a carton. 3.Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said carton filling and sealingapparatus includes a carton conveyor for conveying cartons to saiddating apparatus and thereafter to said top breaker apparatus, saidanvil means and said dater block means being spaced upstream from saidtop breaker apparatus a predetermined distance so that a date is appliedto one carton while a previously stamped carton is treated by the topbreaker apparatus downstream of said one carton.
 4. Apparatus as inclaim 2 wherein said dater block means is mounted on a leaf spring so asto be movable toward and away from said anvil means.
 5. Apparatus as inclaim 4 wherein said cam surface is disposed to engage said dater blockmeans to move it toward said anvil means.
 6. Apparatus as in claim 1wherein said dater block means is provided with a heater means forheating said indicia applying means so that said panel is branded bysaid indicia applying means.
 7. Apparatus as in claim 6 wherein saidheater means is an electric heater and further including electricalcontrol means for regulating the heat output of said heater so that thedarkness of said brand can be adjusted.
 8. Apparatus as in claim 6wherein said anvil has at least one passageway, and an inlet and outletthereto, said inlet being connected to a source of coolant to providecooling for said anvil.
 9. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein said datingapparatus further includes an elongated mounting member connected atrespective ends to a portion of said carton filling and sealingapparatus, said anvil means and said dater block means being mounted onsaid mounting member.
 10. Apparatus as in claim 9 wherein said fillingand sealing apparatus includes a carton conveyor, said elongatedmounting member being disposed beneath said conveyor and said anvilmeans and said dater block means being mounted on said elongatedmounting means but elevated above said conveyor so as to be in proximityto a top portion of cartons conveyed by said conveyor.
 11. Apparatus asin claim 10 wherein said anvil means and said dater block means areslidably mounted on said elongated mounting means so as to be laterallyadjustable with respect to said conveyor and said conveyed cartons. 12.Apparatus as in claim 11 wherein said filling and sealing apparatusincludes two carton conveyors for conveying two lines of cartonstherethrough, said dating apparatus including an anvil means and acorresponding dater block means for each conveyor, each anvil means anddater block means combination being slidable on said elongated mountingmember for adjustment with respect to a respective conveyor and cartonsconveyed thereby.
 13. Apparatus as in claim 12 wherein said filling andsealing apparatus includes a top breaker apparatus downstream of saiddating apparatus, said top breaker apparatus reciprocating toward andaway from cartons downstream of said dating apparatus, and said datingapparatus further including cam means mounted on said top breakerapparatus for engaging respective dater block means and moving themtoward corresponding anvil means to apply indicia to carton panels whensaid top breaker apparatus moves toward downstream cartons. 14.Apparatus as in claim 2 wherein said filling and sealing apparatuscomprises conveying means for conveying two lines of cartons, saiddating apparatus further including an anvil means and dater block meansfor each line of cartons.
 15. In apparatus for filling and sealingtubular milk cartons having end closures terminating in a rib whichincludes a plurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallel planes,said apparatus being of the type having a carton conveyor and areciprocating top breaker means for engaging and prebending carton topspreparatory to filling said cartons and to sealing said tops to formsaid end closure, dating means for applying indicia to at least one ofsaid panels prior to said pre-bending, said dating means including:anvil means, dater block means having indicia applying means alignedwith and normally spaced from said anvil means, and means for heatingsaid indicia applying means, said dater block means and said anvil meansbeing mounted for relative movement toward and away from each other,said carton conveyor being operable to successively convey said cartonsto said dating means such that one of said panels is disposed betweensaid anvil means and said dater block means, and means attached to saidtop breaker means for engaging and for moving one of said anvil meansand said dater block means toward and away from the other to applyindicia to said one panel in response to movement of said top breakermeans toward a downstream carton.
 16. Carton dating apparatus for use ina carton filling apparatus, said dating apparatus comprising: anelongated mounting member, dating means comprising an anvil element anda dater block element, each mounted on said elongated mounting member,said dater block element adapted to mount changeable indicia applyingmeans therein, said anvil element and said dater block element beingoperationally aligned and normally spaced from each other, a leaf-springmounted on said elongated mounting member, one of said anvil element orsaid dater block element being movably mounted on said leaf spring sothat said one element is movable relatively toward the other to press acarton portion therebetween, said leaf-spring normally biasing said onemovably mounted element to a position spaced from the other element,said spring means being yieldable to allow said one element to be movedtoward the other element, and means for cooperating with a movableelement of the carton filling apparatus for moving said one movableelement toward the other.
 17. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein saiddater block element is mounted on said leaf spring for relative movementtoward and away from said anvil element.
 18. Apparatus as in claim 16wherein said anvil element and said dater block element are slidablymounted on said elongated mounting member.
 19. Apparatus as in claim 16including heater means in said dater block element for heating saidindicia applying means when mounted in said dater block.
 20. Apparatusas in claim 19 wherein said heater means is an electrical heater andfurther including electrical control means for regulating the heatoutput of said heater so that the darkness of brands applied to cartonscan be adjusted.
 21. Apparatus as in claim 19 including coolant passagesin said anvil element and coolant inlet and outlet means.
 22. Apparatusas in claim 16 including means for adjusting the anvil element and thedater block element in a direction transverse to the elongated mountingmember.
 23. Apparatus as in claim 16 wherein said anvil element includesan anvil surface for cooperating with said indicia stamping apparatusand further includes a tapered guide surface extending from said anvilsurface in a direction away from said dater block element for aidingalignment of carton panels between said anvil element and said daterblock element for dating.
 24. Apparatus as in claim 16 including atransverse passage in said dater block element for receiving indiciaapplying means therein and a gate means movable into a position at oneend of said passage to capture and hold said indicia applying means insaid passage.
 25. Apparatus as in claim 16 comprising two sets of datingmeans, each having an anvil and a corresponding dater bloCk. 26.Apparatus as in claim 16 adapted for use in a carton filling machine ofthe type having a top breaker apparatus for pre-bending a top portion ofa carton when moved toward a carton downstream of a dating means, saidcarton dating apparatus including a cam means connectable to said topbreaker, said cam means in use engaging said dater block element to moveit toward said anvil element when said top breaker is moved toward saiddownstream carton.
 27. Apparatus as in claim 25 wherein each of saidanvils and said dater blocks are adjustably mounted on said elongatedmounting member.
 28. Apparatus as in claim 16 further including a collarmeans slidably mounted on said elongated mounting member, an anvilsupport column, means adjustably mounting said anvil support column onsaid collar means transverse to said elongated mounting member, saidanvil being connected to said support column, means connecting one endof said leaf spring to said anvil support column, and said dater blockbeing mounted on another end of said leaf spring, operationally alignedand spaced from said anvil, said dater block and said anvil beingadjustable as a unit in a direction along said elongated mountingmember, and in a direction transverse thereto.
 29. In a carton fillingand sealing apparatus of the type including means for conveying a lineof cartons therethrough and further including a reciprocating member,carton dating apparatus for applying dates to carton panels, said datingapparatus comprising: anvil means, dater block means including indiciaapplying means, a leaf spring attached to said filling and sealingapparatus in proximity to said line, one of said anvil means or saiddater block means being attached to said leaf spring at a point spacedfrom said spring''s attachment to said apparatus, said anvil means andsaid dater block means being aligned and normally spaced apart withrespect to each other and disposed so that carton panels can be conveyedtherebetween, and means attached to said reciprocating member on saidfilling and sealing apparatus for engaging said one of said anvil meansor dater block means attached to said leaf spring and for moving one ofsaid anvil means or dater block means toward the other in order toengage and to apply indicia to a carton panel between said anvil meansand said dater block means.
 30. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 29wherein said reciprocating member of said carton filling and sealingapparatus comprises a portion of a carton top breaker means.
 31. Cartondating apparatus as in claim 30 including heating means in said daterblock means for heating said indicia applying means so that a date isbranded into said carton panel.
 32. Carton dating apparatus for use in acarton filling and sealing apparatus of the type including reciprocatingmeans for treating successive cartons at a station spaced away from saidcarton dating means, said carton dating apparatus comprising: an anvil,a dater block including indicia applying means, said anvil and daterblock being disposed on opposite sides of at least a portion of acarton, and means connectable to said reciprocating means for movingsaid anvil and said dater block relatively toward and away from eachother to apply said indicia to a carton in response to reciprocalmovement of said reciprocating means.
 33. Carton dating apparatus as inclaim 32 including heater means for heating said indicia applying means.34. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 32 wherein said dater block ismounted on a leaf spring for movement toward and away from said anvil,said means for moving said anvil and said dater block togethercomprising a cam means mountable on said reciprocating means to engagesaid dater block and move said dater block toward said anvil.
 35. Cartondating means as in claim 34 wherein said reciprocating means comprises atop breaker disposed at a station spaced from said carTon dating means.36. Carton dating apparatus as in claim 32 wherein said filling andsealing apparatus has a conveyor for moving cartons to and away fromsaid dating apparatus and said reciprocating means, said datingapparatus disposed in use to date cartons upstream of said reciprocatingmeans.
 37. In carton filling and sealing apparatus of the type havingreciprocating closure forming means for forming an end closure oncartons successively conveyed thereto, said end closure including a ribformed from a plurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallel planes,dating apparatus for applying indicia to at least one of said panelscomprising: anvil means, dater block means having indicia applying meansaligned with and normally spaced from said anvil means, said anvil meansand said dater block means being mounted for relative movement towardand away from each other, said filling and sealing apparatus havingmeans for moving at least one of said panels between said anvil meansand said dater block means, and means cooperating with said closureforming means for moving one of said anvil means and said dater blockmeans toward and away from the other in response to movement of saidclosure forming means toward and away from successive cartons, so as toapply a date to one of said panels when said panel is between said anvilmeans and said dater block means.
 38. Apparatus as in claim 37 whereinsaid reciprocating closure forming means defines a closure formingstation and said anvil means and said dater block means define a datingstation spaced from said closure forming station.
 39. In carton fillingand sealing apparatus of the type having movable carton treating meansfor engaging and treating cartons successively conveyed thereto, saidcartons having top end closures, each including a rib formed from aplurality of panels disposed in adjacent parallel planes, datingapparatus for applying indicia to at least one of said panelscomprising: anvil means, dater block means having indicia applying meansaligned with and normally spaced from said anvil means, said anvil meansand said dater block means being mounted so that one is movablerelatively toward and away from the other, said filling and sealingapparatus having means for moving at least one of said panels betweensaid anvil means and said dater block means, and means cooperating withsaid carton treating means for moving one of said anvil means and saiddater block means toward and away from the other in response to movementof said carton treating means, so as to apply a date to one of saidpanels when said panel is between said anvil means and said dater blockmeans.
 40. Apparatus as in claim 39 wherein said movable carton treatingmeans defines a carton treating station and wherein said anvil means andsaid dater block means define a carton dating station spaced from saidcarton treating station.
 41. Apparatus as in claim 40 wherein saidcarton treating means are operative to at least partially form endclosures on said cartons.